One Last Time
by Bimadabomi
Summary: A business trip gone wrong. [ChandlerMonica]


**One Last Time**

This was originally a songfic, but due to the no lyrics rule I had to take the lyrics out. Not sure how good it is without them, but I think it's semi decent. It was inspired by the song "One Last Time" by Dusty Drake. It's a sad song. If you want this fic to make more sense, listen to the song! Hee.

_xxxxxxxxx_

"Hello?" Monica asked, picking up the phone. She was wondering who would be calling after ten on a Sunday night...most of the people she knew would be getting their kids ready for bed, and settling down for the night themselves. The only person who would call her at this time was Chandler, who was out of town on business. But he was on his way home right now as she was answering the ringing phone in her kitchen.

"Mon?" he said. And she knew why he was calling. She knew he wasn't going to be coming home, just by the way he sounded.

"No..." she said, her voice barely audible. "This can't be happening."

"Mon, I... I don't think I'm gonna make it home," he said, his voice cracking. "The plane's going to go down."

"Oh my God," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "This can't be happening," she said again.

"I'm sorry," he said, as if this was somehow his fault.

"It's not your fault," she said. "I just...what am I supposed to do? I, I can't handle losing you."

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "I know you, you'll be fine," he said again, as if that was hard for him to admit.

"I won't be _fine_," she said. "I don't think I can do it..."

"You'll be FINE," he assured her again. "I just called to say goodbye. One last time," he added.

Tears fell down her cheeks, as she comprehended what was happening and what he was saying. "Do you have to?" she asked.

"I wish I didn't, Mon," he said. She noted he hadn't once called her 'Monica' through this whole conversation, just 'Mon.' He always used Mon when she was upset, or he was trying to get her to forgive him...whenever he wanted to be sweet. "But there are some things in life that we just can't control. Like who we fall in love with. Like you and me. You think we controlled that?" he asked. She gave a light hearted chuckle. "And," he added, "when it's time to go."

"What about the plans we had?" she asked. "What about our anniversaries, and birthdays, and seeing the boys grow up, learn to drive, and graduate, and go off to college, what about having more children, trying to have a girl?" she asked, desperate. Like that would somehow stop this from happening. She knew it was ridiculous, but she was so upset her mind was acting strangely, and she was just saying the first things that came to her mind. "I already feel all the pain of you leaving me, and you're not even gone yet, I can still hear your voice," she said. "What's going to happen when you're really gone? It's strange, knowing this is the beginning of losing you, and I'm still hearing your voice."

"This connection's getting bad," he said. "I guess...I should go..." he said. He wanted desperately to tell a joke...one that would make her laugh. He wanted to hear her laugh and know she was smiling one last time. He hated seeing her upset, and he knew he couldn't do anything about this, like he usually could.

"No, don't go, yet..." she said.

'So much for hearing her laugh again,' he thought to himself, as he choked back tears. The last thing she needed to hear was him crying.

"Don't go yet," she repeated. "I have to say...I have to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for nagging you all the time, and I'm sorry for the stupid fights that I started. I'm sorry for making you seem like you weren't the great guy you are at times. I'm sorry for yelling, and..." her voice got caught in her throat. "If I had known that this was going to happen, I would have loved you better...I would have kissed you longer that day you said goodbye to me before you headed to the airport. I'm sorry I didn't. I love you. I would have made sure to show it more. If only I'd known..."

"Mon," he said. She noted the use of his term of endearment again. "You don't need to apologize for anything," he said. "You were the perfect wife. I couldn't have asked for anyone better...you made me so happy, and you know that. Don't ever regret anything. And...promise me something?"

"What?" she asked.

"Promise me you'll go on with your life. Get married again if you want. You have my blessing. Be happy. Live your life like you would've if I had been there. Don't ever let me not being there stop you from being happy. But you ARE mine for eternity."

"Of course I am," she said. "But...Michael and Jake won't understand. They won't understand why you left. Jake's only three! He won't understand this! And Michael's only six. It's going to be hard for them. And what if they don't even remember you when they grow up?"

"I know Michael won't, but what can I do about that?" he asked. "And just be glad we didn't have any girls, so they don't have to not have their father give them away at their wedding." She didn't laugh like he had hoped. Of course not. He realized he wasn't going to hear her laugh ever again. "Just tell them that I love them. Always tell them that. And be strong. For them."

She was silent for a moment, then he spoke again. "Honey, I've gotta go."

"No, don't go. Not yet," she begged.

"I have to go, Mon," he said.

"Don't you dare hang up!" she said. She still had so many things she wanted to tell him, and time was playing a cruel joke on them both. "I have so much to say. I love you so much!" she added, the tears falling long and hard now.

"I love you, too," he added, as the connection faded.

She felt an emptiness within as soon as his words were gone. She knew he couldn't hear her anymore. She knew he was gone. She knew that she was alone now, with only her boys.

"Can you still hear me?" she asked into the phone, desperate to hear his voice one more time. She didn't want it to be gone forever and to never hear it again. She didn't want the even harder part she had been talking about before to start now. She fell onto the floor and started crying. She hoped one of the boys didn't wake up and come down here and see her like this. She held the phone securely to her ear, in hopes that she was wrong, that he was still there, that she would hear his voice one more time.

And then the signal died, and she was alone.

All alone.

I never ever ever thought I would write a fic like this, that didn't end happily! I hope you enjoyed it, even though it ended like it did. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it lmao. A part of me wanted to have a surprise at the end where he really didn't, ummm, die...(see, I can't even SAY it!) but I thought no, I have to do ONE fic like this! lol. I know it may be a little long for a last minute call like that, but hey, it's a story! Okay, yeah. Thanks for reading!


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